


A Lesson in Wanting

by verum_et_mendacium



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Internment Chronicles au, M/M, Minho's too good for him, Soulmate AU, Thomas is a bastard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 04:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5151041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verum_et_mendacium/pseuds/verum_et_mendacium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thominho soulmate au in an au of The Internment Chronicles</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson in Wanting

When Thomas was younger he thought soul mates were an awesome fact. The ability of not having to worry about finding someone to love and to love you for the rest of your life was like living a fairytale where everything falls into place. He remembers running around the palace grounds with Minho fighting trolls and dragons, or rescuing his sister Theresa from the evil queen, before she decided that at 7 she was much too old to need rescuing from boys and became their ace knight when saving mythical kingdoms.

When Thomas is 10 he begins to doubt. He’s old enough to see the cracks in the relationships of his parents friends, how they fight with bared teeth and sharp words he’s still too young to completely understand. You’re not supposed to fight with your soul mate. That didn’t happen in any of his old story books and it’s not what the church tells him. They should just give each other a cookie, or a comic book, or a hug. I’s that simple, or at least it has been for him and Minho.

At 14 Thomas is thankful for the nights where he and Minho build a fortress out of their blankets like children and he can steal away from the duties of being the future king, and Minho from the burden of being a commoner betrothed to the heir apparent.

At 16 Thomas sits in a corner of his sister’s room holding her while she shakes from pain and rage; talking her down from continued sobbing or murdering a man, her cheating bastard of a soul mate. He’ll murder him himself no need for his sis to get her hands dirty. He stops believing in fairytales. 

At 17 Thomas wonders what it would be like to be an average citizen, and if soul mates didn’t exist. He luxuriates in that freedom in his dreams. He’s resentful, to the restriction put on him from all sides, to the prophets who decide his fate before he could even talk, to Minho for being a choice he didn’t have any choice about. And he feels guilty, so so guilty, because Minho is one of the few he trusts to stand with him above anything and anyone, and that as much as that was decided for Minho he chooses it for himself as well. 

At 20 Thomas and Minho haven’t seen each other for two years. They go to separate colleges and slowly stopped talking. Thomas won’t admit he was the one that stopped calling first. He dates; well as much as you can date when you have to set a perfect example which includes being a faithful betrothed. He’s high on freedom and possibilities. He’s still waiting to go back to Minho, to marry, and then to rule together. And honestly he’s no longer dreading it.

At 21 Thomas looks for Minho everywhere. Tries to find a phone number, an address, a train ticket, a single lead. He asks for his parent’s help and doesn’t receive anything, not even any answers. They don’t even look concerned. Thomas thinks they’re hiding something. Theresa tells him not everything in the future is set in stone, and then she disappears as well. And that; that’s like losing a limb. He's missing school and work and sleep and meals and doesn’t care. Only regrets. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. He misses Minho like a heart beat, like oxygen he’s that vital. It was always supposed to end with Minho so where is he?

At 23 Thomas wakes to Minho sitting on the edge of his bed long hair and eyes just as dark and shiny as when they were kids. Minho tells him that he truly thinks Thomas is his soul mate, even after everything, but that still doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t make it right to tell people who to love. He tells him he’s been to the edge, to the wind and the sky, and he thinks he saw eternity. He tells Thomas they’re not sure if this is a paradise gifted to them by the gods, or a prison, or an experiment. He tells him the city is dying. He tells Thomas of their old friends, the ones Thomas ran from as well after too many judging looks and lectures on how he wasn’t treating Minho right. Which was true, but Thomas was still suffocating, not listening. Minho tells him he’s not even sure if he missed Thomas. Tells him he hates Thomas with eyes that won’t let the tears spill. He asks Thomas if he still loves this piece of his destiny. He asks Thomas if he has ever met the gods. He asks Thomas to come with him. 

Thomas says yes. He will always say yes. He will never let go of his hand again.

He’s 25 and it’s 3 am when he’s curled around Minho in their bed holding him like a life line as his heart squeezes and jumps in anticipation of tomorrow. Thomas thinks about the prophets who pray to unseen untouchable gods and make decisions about one of the most vital points in strangers’ lives. He thinks about the rusted trains, and crumbling buildings, and harsh winds slipping through the ever growing cracks in the city’s shield. Thomas thinks of leaving almost everything he’s ever known. Of leaving this floating country without future rulers; without the many of the future nobles as well. It’s not fair. Its selfish. It’s not what a hero would do. But perfect heroes don’t exist outside of stories and Thomas is too weak to not take Minho and their only salvation and run. Thomas holds Minho close, because he will never be so stupid to let go a second time, and doesn’t hope for absolution and makes his peace with that.


End file.
